Make Me Pay
by Mini Peacelet
Summary: Nikki discovers she is pregnant with Hector's child; a result of their one night stand. Will she decide to keep the baby? Will Hector leave her alone? Now that Vix is long gone, can she find a friend in anyone?


_**A/N: **I started this ages ago but never got round to finishing it, and since I have writers block with my other fics, I finally found some motivation to finish this chapter. So basically Nikki discovers she is pregnant with Hector's child after their one night stand. Who will she find a friend in? Will she keep the baby? Will Hector leave her alone? I'd love to know what you think! :)_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p>Make Me Pay - Part 1<p>

"Miss Boston?" Christine entered the classroom promptly, a concerned expression refining her serene features, her rich orbs scanned the room and perceived the rowdy adolescents creating chaos as they grasp advantage of their teacher's lack of attention and authority, proceeding to run riot.

Immersed in a whirlwind of dominant thoughts, the brunette was unable to concentrate on teaching the challenging teens. It was impossible with her current mind state. Nikki had shut herself away, concealed in an invisible safety bubble with her face buried into the palms of her hands and elbows propped on the wood desk. She failed to even notice that her boss was now present in her lesson, far too absorbed in a potent trance.

Scrunched up pieces of paper - lesson work sheets - flew across the classroom aimlessly and scattered on the shabby carpet as they landed, narrowly missing the headmistress, "That's enough!" She raised her tone, declaring her existence, "Everyone, settle down and get back in your seats." It wasn't a request; an instruction that required obedience. Her scowl and assertive attitude enhanced her statement.

The blonde then paced the short distance from the door to the former army captain's desk, the thin material that coated the concrete floor muted the piercing clicks of her heeled shoes, "Nikki?" Touching the brunette's upper arm tenderly, her pitch hushed and slurred with noticeable worry, she succeeded in hauling her from her daze, "Just come outside for a moment please."

Compelling effortlessly, Nikki regained her equilibrium reluctantly and departed the classroom, ambling further down the corridor, she then propped herself against the painted wall for support to prevent her falling to the floor as her knees threatened to buckle beneath the weight of her body.

Christine addressed the students of the PRU, directing them to accomplish something constructive - even somewhat as simple as reading a book. Exiting the classroom, she recalled observing Simon marking in his classroom discreetly and asked him to cover the class as a favour, then guiding the fretful English teacher in the direction of her office.

"Take a seat." The older woman gestured to the chairs that surrounded the circle table as she closed the door and proceeded to flick the kettle on, collecting the items that contributed to making two mugs of coffee.

Nikki perched on the edge of one of the chairs. Solitary and reserved. Her head was dipped, chestnut-coloured hair cascaded from where it had previously been tucked neatly behind her ears, masking her forlorn contours. She evaded eye contact and remained silent, showing no signs of even desiring to communicate. Christine had captured a glimpse of how rough the no nonsense teacher looked; her eyes were red and puffy indicating that she had been crying, complexion paler than normal. She had never witnessed the brunette in such a state and instantly comprehended that something had happened.

Placing a strong coffee - in all honesty, Nikki looked as though she needed it desperately - in front of her on a coaster, Christine then sat down on the seat closest to her colleague, nursing her own steamy beverage, "Nikki, what's happened? I've never seen you lose control of your class like that before. Never." She was the last person she could ever have imagined allowing her students behaviour to deteriorate during a lesson; Nikki was always so strict, professional, and in command. Nothing impacted her work.

The brunette stared vacantly at her drink, faltering over a response. Her head was a complete jumble. She couldn't think straight. "I..I'm sorry." She murmured feebly, loathing her emotions for the way they were making her feel. "I should have been focusing better, it won't happen again." She promised quietly, raising her hand to stir the mixture in the cup blankly; it was just an appreciated distraction. Her attention remained divided, efforts limited to staying composed as she prepared herself for the reprimanding she figured she was in for.

The head teacher shrugged, "Don't worry about it." She dismissed the apology - that wasn't her main priority at that moment. It was unlikely to be a frequent occurrence, so there was no great concern about her ability of a teacher. "I can clearly see that something is bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?"

She purses her lips together momentarily and rejects the question, "I have a class to teach." Ascending to her feet, mug of coffee in her grasp, she dashed to the door, impatiently wanting to leave. Telling Christine what was bothering her would mean that it was real. And that was something she wasn't ready to confront. _Out of sight, out of mind._

"No." Christine darted to her feet swiftly, stopping the English teacher in her tracks, "You are in no fit state to teach at the moment." As blunt as the statement was, it was true; and Nikki knew it. "Simon's covering your lesson for the time being, so come and sit back down."

Nikki sighed in exasperation and aversely reclaimed her seat, dropping the mug back on the table and fiddling with her fingers apprehensively. She was sensitive and equally cranky presently, the blonde realised she was going to have to tread carefully in order to obtain information.

"What's going on, Nikki? You know you can talk to me, I'm hard lines going to judge." Her voice was somewhat soothing and encouraged the younger woman's tense muscles to relax slightly.

"Nothing." The brunette tapped her fingertips against the table rhythmically, scuffling internally to stop herself from fidgeting, "I'm fine." She attempted to sound convincing but failed miserably, hints of a wavering tone.

"Nothing? I don't believe you." Christine's Scottish accent was thick, it was rapidly becoming apparent that she wasn't going to drop it until she discovered the truth.

"Just drop it, Christine! It's nothing to do with you!" Nikki hissed, reply sharp and fuelled with anger that she instantly regretted, "I'm sorry." She sighed, chewing her bottom lip anxiously.

"It is something to do with me when it's interfering with your work." She stated matter-of-factly, "Come on, Nik. It'll do you good to tell someone, bottling it is never the answer." She softened her manner again, curiosity increasing.

Raking her slender fingers though her already tousled hair - messy from that repeated action throughout the morning - she rubbed her pounding temples dejectedly, "I've screwed up. Really screwed up." Distress laced her small voice, saddened orbs that were dashed with shear fear flickered up and down. She was scared; terrified.

A faint frown suppressed the blonde's features, "Why? We all make mistakes sometimes. There is no point beating yourself up over it."

Nikki glanced cautiously up at her boss, coarsely running her tongue over her dry lips, "I'm pregnant." Her voice was no more than trembling whisper, head immediately bowed again as she viscously wiped away a perfectly formed teardrop that had surfaced.

The blonde sighed sympathetically, reminiscence the moment she had discovered that was was pregnant with Connor - she could relate. "Oh, Nikki." She tentatively planted her hand on the former army sergeant's leg, "It'll be okay even if it doesn't seem that way now. Do you know how far gone you are? Is it Hector's?" She was aware of the short affair Nikki had committed to with the PE teacher, and the results upon her relationship that had evolved.

"Really? It won't be okay." She huffed, "I've lost my fiancee - who is never going to want to speak to me again now, and I can't say I blame her - and I've now got part of him growing inside me. Of course everything is going to be okay!" She laughed bitterly and scoffed, "Yes, it is Hector's. Who else. About five weeks, I think." Her stomach churned violently at the mention of his name.

"I'm not going to tell you your option because I'm sure you already know. But all I advise is that you take your time in deciding; don't rush into something you might later regret. And you need to tell Hector." The headmistress was responded coolly, ignoring her colleague's understandable attitude.

"No."

"He's the father, he deserves to know, Nikki." She said sincerely despite appreciating the reasons behind the brunette's reluctance. "And Nikki. Remember I'm always here if you need to talk." She added.

She gave a small nod of acknowledgement, "Thank you." She murmured before departing the office, arms wrapped tightly around her chest, acting as some sort of defensive barrier to block the world out.


End file.
